


50 First Dates

by Yanana



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Board Games, Cissamione, Established Relationship, F/F, Ice Skating, Laser Tag, Movie Theatre, Muggle Activities, Zoo, a series of dates, bowling, but Discord bullied me into writing 8 chapters, picknick, theme park, this was supposed to be a oneshot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29572092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yanana/pseuds/Yanana
Summary: Hermione had faced every fancy party, every snarky interview and every suspicious gaze when her relationship with Narcissa became public. When Hermione asks her wife, years later, to get to know the muggle world she was raised in, Narcissa agrees. They go on a muggle date, once a month.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Comments: 52
Kudos: 154





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lostinspxce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinspxce/gifts).



> So this idea popped into my head and I kinda dropped everything to write it. Hope you enjoy!

**June 14 th **

Narcissa couldn’t help but smile back when Hermione looked over her shoulder and beamed at her in such delight, you’d think she had just proposed to the younger witch. The ring around her finger was proof that such a request was rather impossible for they had just celebrated their wedding anniversary last week. No, Narcissa had agreed to something else entirely and it was making her so nervous, her smile faltered the second Hermione turned around again.

The sounds of the theme park grew louder as they approached Disneyworld and Narcissa couldn’t help but stare at the enormous iron constructions that were a lot further from the ground than she’d like. Just like her wife, she wasn’t too fond of flying but judging by the speed with which she saw a bunch of muggles pass by, those funny looking contraptions were rather similar to a broomstick. The blonde gulped. Why had she agreed to this?

‘Cissy, are you alright?’

Two amber eyes looked at her worriedly before she managed the earlier smile back on her face. She had agreed because she loved Hermione with all her heart and despite the struggles they faced at the beginning of their relationship, the girl had stuck with her. Hermione Granger, Brightest-Witch-of-her-Age, brains of the Golden Trio and notoriously famous for hating attention and big crowds, had manoeuvred herself through every interview and every party to prove to even the biggest doubters how serious she was about this relationship. Narcissa had often felt like Hermione was managing the impossible.

She had faced Draco and Lucius after the divorce. She had faced Andy who approved wholeheartedly but reminded the younger woman so much of the witch who tortured her that she needed extra therapy to cope. She had faced Rita Skeeter who wrote sceptical article after sceptical article about them in the Daily Prophet. She had faced her own friends who were very worried about her and she had faced her own parents who handled their daughter coming home with a woman almost twice her age rather well.

And now, after a few years of blissful happiness, Hermione had asked the impossible of Narcissa. She had asked her to go on a muggle date once a month until the muggleworld held no more secrets for her pureblood-wife. The question came as a surprise, but Narcissa suspected she’d waited for their lives to settle down before suggesting such a thing. Because when Narcissa saw someone vomiting the second he stepped out of a _rolling coaster_ , she just knew she would not have been able to handle it so gracefully a few years ago as she did now.

‘And that,’ Hermione said while giggling at Cissy’s look of disgust, ‘Is why I told you to eat a light breakfast. We’ll eat greasy stuff when we’ve tried all the rollercoasters and move on to the calmer attractions.’

‘The things I do for love,’ Narcissa muttered before desperately avoiding to be hugged by a giant mouse in a pink dress.

Before she knew it, Hermione was dragging her towards the biggest and highest iron contraption that could be seen in the entire park and she felt her stomach protest already. When Hermione asked her if she was alright, she lifted her chin into the air. She’d be damned if a member of the Noble House of Black puked her guts out in the midst of hundreds of poorly dressed muggles.

Despite agreeing to keep the use of magic to a minimum, Hermione had allowed Narcissa to charm them so that they always managed to end up at the front of the waiting queues without someone noticing. The brunette kept insisting that the waiting was part of the experience, but had to relent when Narcissa pointed out how fragile her patience was. It was either that or having Narcissa buy the theme park so they could have it all to themselves…

Hermione was pulled back to reality when the operator gestured them over and pointed towards the next incoming train. The brunette chuckled when she saw her wife step into the car almost regally before underestimating how low the seat was and collapsing on her backside. Narcissa didn’t get a chance to glare at Hermione because the operator pushed the restraint over the blonde’s head and into her lap. She squeaked but relaxed when she felt Hermione squeeze her hand reassuringly.

‘I finally understand why you forced me to change my attire.’

‘A ballgown isn’t exactly suited for a theme park,’ Hermione snickered.

‘If someone told me I’d be wearing Jeans in the future, I’d have laughed in their face.’

‘You look fantastic in them.’

Just when Narcissa was going to joke about her ass being the only thing looking fantastic in Jeans, the train jerked into motion, startling the blonde. Hermione looked at her awed expression at the _clack clack clack_ of the car being pulled into the air. When they reached the top of the rollercoaster, Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Now, this isn’t so ba-‘

The car toppled over the edge and Narcissa screamed while Hermione laughed her ass off. It was only when the high pitched shrieks next to her died and there was nothing but silence, that Hermione glanced over at her wife in worry. Narcissa’s usually pale complexion was nothing compared to what she looked like when they went into the third looping. Hermione felt relieved when the car came to a stuttering halt and the operator loosened the restraints.

‘Are you okay?’

‘That… was…’

‘I’m sorry, Cissy. We’ll skip the other rollercoasters if you don’t like it. There’s enough other fun stuff for us to do.’

‘AMAZING.’

Hermione blinked. _What?_

‘Can we do that again?’

***

Both witches sauntered towards the exit of the theme park, arms linked and plucking bits and pieces from their shared candyfloss. They were still snickering about the girly screams from one particularly rude man who had tried to hit on both witches in the queue at the haunted house. He’d been boasting about his bravery and promised to protect them from the monsters when Cissy had Apparated right behind him, whispering _boo_ in his ear.

Hermione offered the last of the candyfloss to Narcissa and smiled. The fact that her wife liked theme parks just made her love her more. She’d even agreed to having their picture taken with Mickey and Minnie Mouse and that alone, could be considered a success.

**August 23 rd**

‘I’m not wearing Jeans again!’

‘But you can’t go to the movie theatre wearing a cocktail dress and stiletto’s Cissy!’

The blonde witch rolled her eyes, but relented, trusting that her wife had more knowledge about appropriate muggle-attire than her.

‘I’ll settle for Jeans and my stiletto’s. I’m not wearing sneakers, darling.’

Hermione shook her head but smiled. She knew Narcissa could run a marathon in heels. She’d managed to saunter through Disneyworld in them after all. But they’d be sitting down all evening so it really didn’t matter what kind of shoes she wore. Normally they had planned another date but there was a brilliant movie in theatre now that Hermione really wanted to see. She took Narcissa’s outstretched hand and she Disapparated them just around the corner of the cinema.

‘Two tickets for The Hours, please.’

Hermione accepted the tickets, ignoring Narcissa’s hissing remark about the uselessness of being the richest witch alive if she didn’t have any muggle money and guided the blonde inside. She laughed at her wife’s confused frown when she asked her if she wanted popcorn or nachos and bought some of both. After pressing a Sprite and a Coke in Narcissa’s hands, she nodded towards the toilets with a questioning look in her eyes.

‘You know my opinion about public toilets, darling.’

The brunette snorted before walking to their seats and settling down. She smiled when Narcissa tasted both the popcorn and the nachos and immediately claimed the latter for herself, shoving the popcorn in her wife’s hands. She was indecisive about whether she liked Coke or Sprite better and let Hermione decide, who opted for the Coke. A calm contentment washed over them but it didn’t last long as a muggle couple interrupted them, asking Narcissa to remove her coat so they could sit in their seats.

‘I told you we had to buy the seats next to ours as well,’ Narcissa said matter-of-factly but Hermione shrugged.

‘It’s part of the experience.’

‘Is being kicked in the back also part of the experience?’

‘What?’

Narcissa didn’t answer her wife but twirled around in her seat at such speed, Hermione thought she’d used magic to do it. The blonde witch opened her mouth to insult the person seated behind her, but faltered momentarily when she saw how young the muggle boy was.

‘Darling?’

‘Yes?’

‘Is that person old enough to be aware that his actions are impolite and unacceptable?’

Hermione glanced at the teenage boy who seemed to be about sixteen or seventeen years old and scoffed when he flipped her off.

‘He definitely is.’

Narcissa nodded before directing her icy, blue eyes on the boy who immediately started shuffling in his seat.

‘If you kick my seat one more time, I’ll kick your balls so far up your throat, you’ll talk like a girl for the rest of your life.’

The boy paled and nodded causing Cissy to turn around in her seat again, satisfied with the outcome. Hermione snorted next to her and patted her knee.

‘You’re getting better at threatening muggles.’

‘How could I know they wouldn’t understand the danger of a Dementor’s kiss?’

Hermione actually laughed this time, ‘Well I still pity that man who was convinced _you_ were going to kiss him.’

Suddenly, the commercials started and Narcissa practically jumped from her seat. Luckily Hermione had anticipated this moment for she grabbed the blonde’s arm and pulled her down again. The older witch smiled apologetically before making herself comfortable again. When a chicken pranced across the movie screen, she scowled.

‘Is this the movie?’

‘No, these are commercials. They force you to watch them to make a profit.’

‘I don’t understand.’

Hermione leaned closer to her wife to explain but someone shushed them and she rolled her eyes. The younger woman mouthed _later_ to Narcissa who nodded before realizing she had already eaten all her nachos. Hermione would never forget the moment that Narcissa Black, formerly Malfoy, Pureblood-elitist and heir of the Noble House of Black, pouted. The brunette shook her head and muttered something under her breath, refilling the nachos with wandless magic.

***

‘Did you like the movie?’

Narcissa nodded, carrying her third portion of nachos. She had thoroughly enjoyed the story despite having a headache from the absurdly loud volume. But she didn’t get Hermione’s enthusiasm about this actress, Meryl _something_? While the younger woman had repeatedly reassured her not to be jealous, she still couldn’t help but squint her eyes each time the name of the actress was mentioned.

‘I think I like nachos better than movies, though.’

Hermione snickered, ‘Next time, you can pick the movie.’

‘Next time? Are you asking me out on a second date?’

‘That’s right, I am. What do you say?’

‘Alright.’

The younger witch beamed and leaned in for a kiss but Narcissa gently shoved her aside, ‘I don’t kiss on a first date.’

**September 20 th **

‘Come one, Cissy! It’s the rules.’

Narcissa glared in disgust at the bowling shoes Hermione was dangling in front of her. The brunette had almost convinced her to wear the hideous footwear before it had dawned on Narcissa that the shoes had been worn by countless muggles before her.

‘I will not wear those shoes.’

‘But you’re in heels! You’ll break an ankle if you go bowling in them.’

‘I don’t care.’

‘At least switch shoes with me.’

The blonde witch laughed, ‘I already told you, I’ll wear Jeans but I draw my line at sneakers.’

Hermione groaned in frustration and got noticed by one of the employees who sauntered over to them with an annoying, fake smile.

‘Can I help you, ladies?’

‘My wife is refusing to wear the required shoes.’

The fake smile faltered for a second when the employee looked into Narcissa’s icy, blue eyes but he didn’t relent and Hermione couldn’t help but admire his bravery.

‘I’m afraid I can’t allow you on the bowling alleys if you’re not wearing the shoes, ma’am.’

Narcissa tutted her lips at the man and leaned closer to him, ‘You’ll allow me to wear any shoes I want.’

The man blinked stupidly before nodding, ‘You can wear any shoes you want.’

‘Excellent,’ Narcissa said before magicking sparkling, black shoes on her feet that looked suspiciously like the bowling shoes.

‘Did you just cast an _imperio_ on that poor man?’ Hermione practically shrieked.

‘Of course not, darling. That’s an Unforgivable curse. I did a _Gedi_ mind trick on him.’

‘It’s Jedi and I so regret introducing you to StarWars! Why didn’t you transfigure your shoes sooner?’

Narcissa smirked and kissed Hermione on the cheek before walking to bowling alley number three they had rented for the upcoming hour. Harry and Ginny were already waiting for them with rather amused expressions on their face, but Hermione’s glare made sure they didn’t say a word. Harry ordered cocktails and crisps while Ginny set-up the game and Hermione explained the rules to her wife for the third time that evening.

‘Okay, Hermione,’ Ginny called, ‘You go first.’

Hermione felt her wife’s eyes burn in her back, intently watching her every move. She lifted a few bowling balls to determine which one she could swing without pulling a muscle and opted for the pink one.

‘Pink, darling? How girly.’

The brunette ignored the jab and lifted the ball in front of her face, closing one eye so she could aim properly. Hermione exhaled, took three large steps whilst swinging the ball backwards before releasing it with all her strength towards the pins. She remained standing in her awkwardly bent position, muttering _c’mon c’mon c’mon_ at the ball that slowly diverted from its trajectory before rolling in the gutter, leaving all the pins standing.

Harry laughed. Ginny laughed. Hermione pouted and Narcissa couldn’t resist a chuckle.

‘Thanks for demonstrating how not to do it, darling.’

‘Laugh all you want. I just need to get into it again. It’s been years since I went bowling.’

Hermione’s second attempt was more successful and she managed to knock half the pins over. Ginny was next and almost casually threw a strike. When she raised her eyebrow at Narcissa in a silent challenge, the blonde merely hummed while rising from her seat when the computer indicated that she was next.

‘You’ll probably want to look for a ball you can easily carry. It’s trial and error until you find the right one,’ Hermione offered.

Narcissa’s eyes shimmered with approval when she spotted a dark, emerald, green bowling ball and lifted it without effort despite it being almost the heaviest ball in the rack. When Hermione saw her frown at the three holes, she put her drink aside and walked towards her.

‘Those are the holes you put your fingers in. You might want to shorten your nails or you’ll ruin them.’

The blonde shuddered, ‘Normally I don’t have any objections in putting my fingers in tight holes, but this is simply disgusting, darling.’

When Hermione heard Ginny splutter, she slapped Narcissa with the back of her hand, feeling a crimson blush creep up her neck. Before she had a chance to offer a solution, however, Narcissa cast a _scourgify_ on the ball and shortened her nails with a sharp snap of her fingers. The older witch still looked extremely uncomfortable when she inserted her fingers in the bowling ball but started imitating Hermione’s earlier position nevertheless.

Narcissa released the ball and in contrast to Hermione, rose to her full height while watching nine out of ten pins fall. She slowly turned around to see three shocked faces and smirked.

‘I believe, miss Weasley, that the expression _the game is on_ applies here.’

***

‘Merlin’s beard, I still can’t believe you won!’

‘I still can’t believe you accused me of cheating,’ Narcissa replied drily but the expression in her eyes betrayed her amusement.

‘Like that would be so impossible.’

Narcissa laughed out loud and Hermione couldn’t help but be in awe at the sound of her voice. She loved it when her wife allowed herself to let go once and a while.

‘I want to wash my hands, though. Urgently.’

Leaving no room for discussion, Narcissa wrapped her arm around Hermione’s waist and Apparated them home.

**October 11 th**

‘What’s this called again?’ Narcissa asked while Hermione strapped her harness on.

‘Laser tag.’

‘And what do I have to do?’

‘You, Draco and Harry are a team and Ginny, Astoria and me are a team. You just have to try and shoot as many members of the opposite team as possible without getting hit too much yourself. When your harness flickers, you know you’ve been shot. Your laser gun tells you how many hits you’ve scored yourself. When you encounter a ghost along the way, you’re put in time-out and can’t shoot for a whole minute. It’s best to find shelter if that happens.’

‘So it’s like a duel?’

‘Sort of! Our first round is just for practice so we can all get used to the maze. It’ll be much clearer when you’ve played the game for a first time. After that, we have a real battle.’

Draco joined his mother and scoffed, but he wasn’t nearly as convincing anymore. Everybody knew he was a big softie underneath who secretly enjoyed himself during these outings. An encouraging smile from Astoria usually sufficed to have him on his best behaviour and Narcissa couldn’t help but be happy that her son found actual love since her first marriage had been a political arrangement.

‘Before the game begins and we become mortal enemies,’ Hermione suddenly whispered into her wife’s ear, ‘I just wanted to say you look lovely.’

‘You know I’m only wearing these sneakers because there will be running and jumping and I’m not going to ruin my Louboutin’s!’

‘Still, Nike suits you.’

Hermione disappeared into the darkness of the maze with her team before Narcissa had a chance to roll her eyes at her. She was never going to admit to the brunette that her new shoes were actually extremely comfortable. The Gryffindor had already teased her relentlessly when she’d purchased two new Jeans and couldn’t resist laughing at the ancient corsets she used to wear, each time Narcissa appeared in front of her in her lacy, muggle-made, bra.

Suddenly, Harry tapped her on the shoulder, indicating that their waiting time was over and they were allowed to enter the maze as well. They had quickly discussed tactics, deciding that they’d all go their separate ways in order to get used to the game and explore the maze. They could always change plans for the actual game later that evening. Draco took the first turn to the right, while Harry took the second on the left, leaving Cissy to go straight.

Suddenly she was alone and she could hear her own heart thrumming in her chest. A ghost appeared into her vision, but she quickly swirled around a corner to avoid it. Before she had a chance to be smug about it, her harness blared and flickered indicating that she’d been shot. She saw the brown curls of her wife disappear into the darkness and cursed. This meant war!

***

Narcissa gritted her teeth. The game was almost at an end and she’d been shot so many times, the blaring of her harness had given her a headache. Her own laser gun was still at zero hits. It was unbelievable. She was either too slow when she encountered a member of the opposite team, struggled with her laser gun or was put in time-out by a ghost, making her an easy target. The blonde started to feel frustrated. If this would have been a duel with wands, she’d have the upper hand without a doubt.

Suddenly an idea popped into her head. The harnesses responded to the red beam of the laser. What if she recreated that beam using a spell? It would elevate her chances of actually hitting someone and save her ego from being mortally wounded. With a twist of her wrist, Narcissa unsheathed her wand and hooked the gun on the harness. She wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

A flash of brown drew her attention and the witch smirked. Her wife had appeared just in time, it would seem. She sprinted through the corridor and ducked right before rounding the corner, knowing that Hermione’s own aim would be too high to hit her. When she saw the brunette, she aimed her wand and whispered _expelliarmus._

The spell had barely left her wand or Narcissa realized the mistake she’d made. The flare hit Hermione straight in the chest, flinging the woman several feet backwards and onto her back. A pained yelp escaped her throat before she hit the ground with a thud. Narcissa gasped and ran towards the younger woman, dropping onto her knees when she arrived.

‘Oh, darling! Are you alright?’

‘Did you just cast a spell at me?’

‘I’m so sorry, darling! It turns out I’m horrible at laser tag and my frustrations got the best of me. I thought I could trick the game by aiming a red beam with my wand at your harness.’

Hermione looked at her wife, too stunned to reply before bursting into a fit of giggles.

‘Did you pull the safety pall from your gun?’

‘The what?’

‘It’s to prevent you from accidentally pointing it at someone’s eyes when you’re not playing,’ Hermione explained while pulling the lever on the laser gun backwards, ‘You can’t shoot otherwise.’

‘You knew,’ Narcissa said upon seeing Hermione’s feigned innocent expression.

‘I have no idea what you are talking about, Cissy.’

‘Don’t Cissy me! You knew!’

‘Fine,’ Hermione laughed, ‘I guess this makes us even.’

‘Mmmmm,’ Narcissa hummed while leaning closer to her wife who was still sprawled out on the floor, ‘Kiss me.’

Hermione happily obliged, pressing her lips on Narcissa’s while humming in delight. She never grew tired of kissing her wife. But before either of them could deepen the kiss, both their harnesses blared. They looked up to see the rest of their teams shaking their heads in disbelief and pointing their guns at the kissing couple. Game over.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and Narcissa go on 4 more muggle dates, but they don't always go the way they'd want them to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprised? So am I... this was supposed to be a oneshot but thanks to a bunch of assholes (whom I love dearly), I have acquired a total of 28 dates, good for 7 chapters that I need to write... I'm so relieved they didn't come up with 50 such as the title of the fic states
> 
> Anyhow, keep in mind that these are just descriptions of dates. There is no storyline or plot. Only fluff. Enjoy!

**November 22th**

Hermione said nothing when she saw Narcissa hoist herself in her skinniest jeans and pulling on a dark, green sweater. They were going on their next muggle-date together and despite earlier arguments, Narcissa now eagerly slipped into her sneakers before putting her coat on.

‘You’re being smug.’

‘I’m not!’ Hermione exclaimed but she couldn’t keep the smile of her face.

‘You’re being smug and its very unbecoming in a witch.’

The words held no bite and Narcissa softly pecked Hermione on the lips before slipping her purse over her shoulder. They were going to the zoo and would be taking a picnic with them to eat in the botanical gardens. It was autumn but temperatures had been dropping so it was probably their last chance to eat outside. Hermione grabbed her scarf and frowned when Narcissa refused hers.

‘What if you get cold?’

‘The cold never bothered me, darling. Shall we go?’

‘Spoken like a true ice queen,’ Hermione snorted.

Her wife squinted, ‘You know I hate that nickname.’

The brunette merely rolled her eyes before apparating within walking distance of the zoo. They landed in a quiet alley and walked onto the main street without being noticed by muggles. Hermione supressed a chuckle when she saw her wife struggle with muggle money while buying the tickets, but she had insisted on exchanging some Galleons for pounds so she could pay for some of their dates. Eventually the blonde witch managed and they entered the zoo.

‘Which animal do you want to see first,’ Hermione asked while scanning the map they had received at the register.

Narcissa looked flabbergasted, ‘I have no idea. Perhaps the rarest of creatures first?’

‘Excellent. I’ll take you to the elephants, polar bears, lions and tigers first. They are threatened with extinction.’

‘Oh. Ordinary animals are being hunted and poached as well?’

Hermione gave a sad shrug, ‘I’m afraid that animals will always be the victim of human cruelty. Magic or no magic.’

‘We don’t keep our animals in cages, though,’ Narcissa muttered while gazing at a nearby habitat.

‘Ha! That would be the only reason I’d introduce magic to the common world. So we could use it to enlarge their habitats exactly like they’re in the wild, but still protected from hunters.’

Narcissa chuckled at this, ‘I assume the muggles try the best they can to keep their own animals safe. Let’s just enjoy this, shall we?’

‘Enjoy this? Madame Granger Black, this is not a fun outing. This is meant to be educational.’

This time the blonde actually laughed at Hermione’s feigned offence. She linked her arm with Hermione’s and let the brunette guide them to the first ordinary animals she would see.

***

‘I liked the elephaunts best,’ Narcissa said while chewing on her sandwich.

‘It’s elephants and you have jam on your nose.’

Hermione wiped the jam of Narcissa’s nose before licking it from her finger. The older woman’s eyes darkened but her wife shook her head.

‘Don’t get any ideas. We still have to see the monkeys and the penguins.’

A bit reluctantly, Narcissa let herself be hoisted to her feet so they could leave the botanical gardens and resume their visit to the zoo. Hermione couldn’t stop but smile at her wife’s awed expression when she saw all the animals. The giraffes had her giggling while the foxes almost had her whip out her Patronus to compare them. When they reached the monkeys, she was a bit nervous.

‘They remind me of Pixies but bigger. So mischievous.’

‘And without the wings,’ Hermione laughed.

Suddenly a monkey landed on Narcissa’s shoulder and yanked the necklace from her neck before bolting the scene. There had been a warning before they entered the area where the monkeys roamed free, about them being prone to theft, but they hadn’t paid it much attention. An employee from the zoo tried to chase the monkey but to no avail. He muttered an apology to the witches before sauntering off again, obviously not too bothered as this happened frequently. Narcissa however was devastated.

‘Cissy? Cissy, love, what’s wrong?’

‘My necklace…’ she whispered.

Hermione frowned, ‘I know it’s not fun, but you have so much jewellery? Or you can just buy something else instead?’

But Narcissa shook her head and couldn’t keep the tears from escaping her eyes. Hermione was shocked to see her usually composed wife like this. She never cared for materialistic things as she could easily buy everything she ever wanted. Carefully, Hermione guided her out of the monkey-paradise and behind a board of information to give them some privacy.

‘Cissy?’

‘That was the first necklace you ever gave me. It was my favourite.’

And suddenly it clicked for Hermione who enveloped her wife into a comforting hug, ‘Do you want to go home?’

‘We haven’t seen the penguins yet.’

‘We can visit them some other time.’

Cissy nodded, ‘Then yes, please.’

Hermione cast a quick spell to shield them from muggle eyes before disapparating home. It took her a lot of kisses and cuddles, but eventually Cissy calmed down a little bit. She fell asleep in Hermione’s arms listening to the brunette describing what exactly a penguin looked like.

**December 13 th**

‘Are you seriously going to try and get me to wear borrowed shoes again?’ Cissy asked with so much disbelief, Hermione relented immediately.

‘Fine, do you have your own ice skates then?’

Narcissa suddenly looked terribly smug, ‘Oh I do, darling. We always went ice skating on the lake near Black cottage during the winter.’

The blonde twirled her finger and suddenly a pair of extremely stylish, black ice skates were on her feet. Hermione looked at her own pink, borrowed skates and grumbled.

‘Of course yours sparkle…’

The pureblood-witch merely laughed and pulled her wife onto the ice. They’d visited a muggle Christmas village for their date and when they saw it had a skating rink, Hermione had pleaded with Narcissa claiming that it would be extremely romantic. Now that she was wobbling on her legs like Bambi, the brunette definitely had second thoughts.

‘I’d forgotten how difficult it was to keep your balance,’ Hermione said nervously, but when she heard no response, she glanced aside, ‘Cissy?’

‘Yes darling?’

Narcissa had already skated to the midst of the ring, ridiculously elegant and with rather high speed. She’d clasped her gloved hands behind her back and was spinning around her axis before skating back towards Hermione and coming to a skidding halt.

‘You’re just showing off now,’ Hermione said accusingly, still clutching on to the sides of the arena for dear life.

The blonde turned around on the ice and passed Hermione skating backwards. She blew her a kiss before twirling in the right direction again and racing off. Hermione huffed before slowly letting go of the sides and trying to move forwards. The moment the younger witch lost her support, she immediately regretted her decision. Her arms flailed backwards as she desperately tried to stay upright. Luckily for her, Narcissa had already returned from her circle around the rink and grabbed her wife firmly by the waist to help her.

‘I’ve got you, darling.’

‘Merlin, I don’t remember being this bad at ice skating,’ Hermione laughed, but there was an edge to her voice that didn’t go unnoticed by her spouse.

‘You’re too tense. Just relax and lean forwards a bit instead of standing too straight.’

‘There’s nothing straight about me.’

The blonde chuckled at the joke and released her wife’s waist to grab her hand. It allowed both of them to move around a bit more easily and still being able to lean on each other. Hermione smiled but she was still nervous as Narcissa pulled her to the midst of the rink with her. It was only after the third lap that the brunette started to feel a bit more confident. Unfortunately that confidence was short-lived as a teenage boy barely avoided a collision with her and Hermione lost her balance.

‘Ouch!’ she exclaimed when she landed on her backside rather painfully.

Narcissa, very unlike her, cursed loudly before crouching down next to Hermione who clutched her hand to her chest. She had tried to break her fall but had twisted her wrist as a result. Before she could help the brunette up, the boy who caused the accident skated towards them.

‘I’m terribly sorry, ma’am. Are you okay?’

Before Narcissa could curse the boy into oblivion, Hermione managed a smile and assured the boy that there was no harm done if he promised to be more careful in the future. The teenager nodded solemnly and helped his victim to her feet. After a second apology, he skated off again.

‘You are far too good for this world. You do realize that, darling?’

Hermione shook her head, ‘He didn’t do it on purpose. Accidents happen.’

‘Then why the pout?’

‘I wanted to go ice skating with you because I’d hoped it would be romantic. But here I am, struggling to stay upright and getting injured in the process.’

The blonde kissed Hermione on the nose before pulling her back to the benches at the entrance of the skating rink, ‘Romance was never your strong suit, but I do love you so much for trying.’

‘Shall we forego the skates and head back to that stall that sold mulled wine?’

Narcissa almost grinned, ‘That’s the most sensible thing I’ve ever heard you say.’

The older woman sunk to her knees and started undoing Hermione’s skates, gently taking them off and putting her shoes on. Hermione almost melted at the gesture. When Narcissa returned from exchanging the pink skates for her wife’s ID, she transformed her own skates back into shoes when nobody was watching.

‘Allow me, darling,’ She purred as she took Hermione’s hand in her own and gently kissed the injured wrist.

Hermione felt the familiar, warm ripple of magic that was so unmistakable Cissy’s before the soreness in her wrist disappeared completely. Only a skilled witch such as her wife could perform wandless healing magic and Hermione knew it turned her on in a strange way. When Narcissa saw the eyes of her wife darkening, she tutted.

‘I don’t think so! You promised me mulled wine and not even sex is going to distract me from that promise.’

The brunette blushed but accepted the outstretched hand that pulled her to her feet again. The sun had started to set and the lights from the Christmas village all popped on at the same time. The music started playing a little louder while the smell of warm waffles greeted them. Both witches sighed contentedly.

‘I guess muggles celebrate Christmas rather similarly to witches and wizards,’ Narcissa remarked.

‘They do indeed.’

‘I never cared much for Christmas until I met you. The moment you made me wear that horrible sweater, was the moment I started enjoying the holidays.’

Hermione beamed and wanted to kiss her wife but she was already distracted by the vendor of mulled wine. The brunette shook her head. Cissy and her damn wine…

**January 31 st**

They almost didn’t manage to go on their monthly date in January as they had so many parties to attend to. There had been family gatherings, parties at every friend’s house and receptions from work. By the time they finally had some time for themselves, neither of them had much energy left. So Hermione decided to introduce her wife to muggle board games. A date that did require some help, so she summoned Harry and Ginny for the occasion.

‘What’s this game we’re playing?’

Hermione smiled at her wife who was dressed in sweatpants and the softest sweater she owned, ‘Monopoly.’

Narcissa repeated the word with a frown, before shrugging and sipping her tea. She had immediately agreed to a date at home, still suffering from the many hangovers she’d endured during the holidays. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and her reading glasses were perched on the tip of her nose. She often wore them when she was a bit tired, but Hermione never minded it. In the brunette’s opinion, Cissy was the most gorgeous when she was dressed casually.

‘That’ll be Harry and Ginny,’ Hermione said when the doorbell rang, ‘I hope they didn’t forget to bring the pizza.’

Cissy merely raised an eyebrow. The Boy Who Lived could very easily end up the Boy Who Died After All if he’d forgotten her pizza. It was by far Cissy’s favourite muggle take-out, but she rarely indulged herself so she’d been looking forward to it all week. Luckily the smell of her pepperoni pizza greeted her, the moment their guests walked in.

‘Food’s here!’ Ginny announced and Narcissa rolled her eyes at the redhead stating the obvious.

They all settled around the coffee table, pizza boxes on their laps, so they could start their game of Monopoly. Hermione would also take the role of the bank as she was the only one who didn’t try to cheat. The blonde scrunched up her nose at Harry’s pizza Hawaii. Honestly how that boy had grown past the age of twelve was a mystery to the witch.

‘Okay, Cissy, do you remember the rules I explained you earlier?’

‘I think so,’ The older woman replied a bit hesitantly as it had been quite a lot to take in.

‘Don’t worry, Narcissa. For every mistake you make, we play another game of truth or dare.’

Narcissa squinted her eyes at the redhead, ‘Ginevra Weasley, I recall you promising never to mention my imitation of a chicken, ever again.’

Ginny had the audacity to grin, ‘Honestly, it was the highlight of my life.’

‘Really?’ Harry asked, ‘For me it was our wedding, but okay.’

They all laughed before rolling the dice to see who’d have the highest number of eyes. Narcissa won, but Hermione was convinced she’d seen the blonde wiggle her fingers right before the dice landed. She shook her head. Having a witch play muggle games without cheating was obviously mission impossible.

***

‘I want to purchase this city,’ Narcissa claimed after finally landing on the spot she’d been eyeing for four rounds.

‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible,’ Hermione pointed out, ‘You don’t have enough money.’

The blonde scoffed, ‘I assure you, money isn’t an issue.’

‘You’re nearly broke,’ Ginny laughed, remembering how Narcissa had constantly landed on her properties, having to pay fine after fine.

‘I am the most wealthy rich in the entire Wizarding Community of Great-Britain!’ Narcissa said with a raised voice.

Hermione barely managed to supress a laugh when she placed her hand on her wife’s arm reassuringly, ‘Yes you are. But in this game, we play with fake money. And you only have fifty pounds left while the property will cost you five hundred pounds.’

Narcissa blinked. _Oh_.

‘Do you declare bankruptcy or are you going to sell one of your properties?’

‘This game is giving me anxiety. Bankruptcy? Selling properties? How absurd.’

Ginny chuckled, ‘Let’s just declare me the obvious winner of this game, shall we? Harry and I should be getting back as it’s late after all.’

Hermione eyed the clock and startled at the hour, ‘Merlin’s beard, you’re right Gin. That’ll hurt when we need to get up for work tomorrow.’

Harry suppressed a yawn before collecting all the empty pizza boxes and bringing them to the kitchen. With a flick of Ginny’s wand, the board game organised itself back into its box and Hermione started rinsing the empty glasses. They said their goodbyes and shortly after, a welcome silence ascended upon the London house Hermione and Narcissa had been living in for many happy years now.

‘Shall we go to bed?’

Narcissa took off her glasses and put them on the coffee table before gesturing Hermione over, ‘No, darling. Let’s stay here a bit longer.’

Hermione eagerly let herself be pulled into Narcissa lap and melted in the arms that enveloped her slim frame. Her wife smelled like vanilla and Hermione couldn’t help but nuzzle her nose in those blonde and black tresses of hair. Oh how she loved her wife. The witch must have sensed her feelings for she pressed a kiss on those unruly, brown curls.

‘I love you too, darling.’

‘Are you snooping around in my head again?’

‘We both know you’ve managed to block me successfully since many years now. But I can still sense your emotions and I can read your body language like an open book.’

‘That’s not a bad thing,’ Hermione said with a little yawn of her own.

Narcissa hummed, ‘Not at all, darling. Not at all.’

**February 14 th**

‘Where are you taking me?’

Narcissa didn’t reply but the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her. Hermione had always been an expert in reading her stoic expressions. The slightest twitch of an eyebrow, a shimmer in her eyes or a quirk of her lips. The brunette always noticed, much to Narcissa’s annoyance sometimes.

‘It’s some place nice, isn’t it? I can see it in your eyes.’

‘Darling, honestly! I’m not ruining my Valentine’s Day surprise. You’ll have to be patient.’

‘You do remember that I’m a Gryffindor?’

‘Oh, like I could ever forget that,’ the blonde replied slightly exasperated.

Hermione stuck out her tongue before putting on her shoes and jacket. Narcissa had been acting very strange lately, always arriving home late from work and being distracted as ever. She had only told Hermione she was working on a surprise for Valentine’s Day when the brunette had asked if she was cheating on her. And ever since Narcissa told her about said surprise, Hermione had been buzzing with excitement.

‘Allow me?’ Narcissa asked while offering her arm to her wife who took it with the biggest grin.

They apparated and when they landed again, Narcissa quickly covered Hermione’s eyes with her hands. The brunette whined but didn’t struggle.

‘Listen,’ Narcissa commanded.

Hermione focused and she could hear the low humming of magic. There was also soft mutterings to be heard, but she couldn’t pinpoint what those were from. Narcissa interrupted her thoughts however.

‘Now smell.’

The brunette obliged and soon, the familiar smells of parchment and ink greeted her. The slight muskiness of old tomes. The stained wood from oak bookcases. She smiled.

‘We’re in a library.’

‘Such a clever witch you are. Happy Valentine’s Day,’ Narcissa whispered in her ear while removing her hands from Hermione’s eyes.

The younger woman squealed at the sight before her. There were more books than she could ever dream of. All neatly stacked in oak book cases that reached all the way to the ceiling. Magical ladders moved around the place, making it possible to reach even the highest books while a golden chandelier lit the entire place. In the midst of it all was a spree laid out with a wicker basket, two plates with cutlery, and two wineglasses.

‘A picknick in a library? Will you please marry me again?’

‘Not just any library, darling. Welcome to the Black library.’

Hermione’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, ‘You finally managed to tear down the wards that prevented me from entering here?’

‘It took me years and I had some bad luck at the last moment as well. That’s why I’ve been so absent lately but I was adamant to make this deadline. There’s still books you probably shouldn’t touch, but starting today, you are very welcome here.’

Narcissa had barely finished her sentence before Hermione flung herself into her arms and kissed her senseless. They both weren’t very tall but in her heels, Narcissa beat Hermione by a few inches. Much to her credit, the blonde didn’t even stumble when a very excited Gryffindor added her weight onto her stilettos.

‘I’m assuming you like it?’

‘I love it! Although I’ll never beat you with this gift, no matter what I do.’

The older witch chuckled, ‘It’s not a competition, darling.’

‘True,’ Hermione shrugged, ‘But I do feel like a trip to Las Vegas comes close.’

‘That’s the place where I accidentally got that tattoo, right?’ Narcissa asked, thinking about the little otter that decorated her thigh.

‘Yes! I remember you were so disappointed you couldn’t try one of the Casino’s after we were called back to London for Scorpio’s birth.’

The blonde shook her head while she relived the memory. They had just arrived in Vegas late during the night and had stumbled into a fancy cocktail bar, where they emerged hours later absolutely shitfaced. The next morning, Cissy had woken up in their hotel bed with a suspiciously sore thigh. Upon closer inspection, it appeared she had acquired a tattoo. She could have removed it magically without much effort, but they both loved it so it stayed. When they emerged downstairs for breakfast and ready for a whole day of gambling, Harry stood waiting for them in the lobby.

‘We never went back.’

‘I guess life got in the way, but it gave me the perfect idea for a Valentine’s gift.’

Narcissa kissed her wife as a ‘thank you’ and gracefully perched herself on top of the spree to start filling their glasses with the best, red wine she owned while Hermione perused the first book cases of the library. She couldn’t help but let her finger caress the spines of the books while she passed them. It was only after a moment, that she remembered Narcissa’s warning.

‘These are safe to touch, right?’

‘Darling, you are incorrigible. But yes, those are safe to touch. The dangerous books are the farthest in the library. There are some even I won’t pick up without wearing dragon leather gloves.’

Hermione gulped but nodded, ‘And I can come here whenever I want? The wards will allow me in even if you’re not with me?’

‘Yes, my love. You can consider this library yours from now on.’

The only reason stopping Hermione from making love to her wife there and then on the spree, was the fact that she considered it a sacrilege towards the books. But she made a mental note to properly show Narcissa how happy she was later that day after they’d enjoyed the lovely picknick the blonde had provided for them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More dates. Some successful and some a bit less

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this plotless fluff gets boring, lemme know and I'll cut it short

**March 21th**

‘I still don’t see the point of this whole escape room concept,’ Narcissa said the minute they apparated somewhere in a London street.

‘It’s just fun, Cissy. Consider it an intellectual challenge.’

The blonde snorted. She rarely considered things an intellectual challenge, let alone when it was some form of muggle entertainment. Hermione merely rolled her eyes as she pushed the door of the escape room open. There was a friendly muggle behind the counter, welcoming them. Andromeda and Teddy were already waiting for them, because according to the information on this ridiculous contraption Hermione had called a computer, this escape room needed to have at least four participants.

The six-year-old child beamed at his aunty who ruffled his blue hair affectionately. They all knew he’d be of little help solving the riddles, but he just loved hanging out with Narcissa and Hermione. When Hermione had suggested they’d invite a fifth person as back up, the blonde witch had merely scoffed. As if an heir of the Noble House of Black needed help solving muggle riddles?

‘There you are! Teddy’s been getting anxious that you wouldn’t show up,’ Andy said with a slightly accusing voice as she hugged Hermione.

‘Sorry, your sister and I had a rather heated discussion. Since phones aren’t allowed in the escape room to avoid cheating, I suggested we’d leave our wands at home instead.’

‘Oh dear.’

‘Indeed,’ Hermione muttered.

‘Well, you’re here now and I’ve only had to cast a _confundus_ charm six times because Teddy accidentally kept changing his hair colour out of excitement.’

Hermione chuckled at Teddy who had grabbed Cissy’s hand and would probably refuse to let go for the remainder of their date. The muggle behind the counter cleared his throat and started to explain the rules. They’d have one hour to try and escape the room. Everything that was loose could be opened, but when something didn’t budge, they had to leave it like that. Apparently a lot of people accidentally wrecked stuff in their enthusiasm to find clues. He’d follow their progress via a camera and would help if they got stuck.

Hermione and Andy handed in their phones while Cissy read the leaflet that told about the escape room itself. Apparently they were detectives that had to solve a murder? Utterly ridiculous. But when the blonde entered the room, she had to admit it looked very believable. She’d expected them to receive a piece of paper with some riddles, but this room looked like they’d travelled back in time. Narcissa had acquired a decent amount of muggle knowledge during her marriage with Hermione, so she knew they were in the Victorian era where muggles travelled by chariot and not by car. She’d never admit it of course, but muggle history fascinated her beyond words.

‘This looks nice!’ Hermione exclaimed before turning to the employee of the escape room.

‘Good luck, ladies! The clock starts NOW,’ he said before closing the door and turning the lock.

***

With only fifteen minutes left on the clock, Narcissa was starting to feel anxious. So far she hadn’t solved a single riddle while Hermione and Andy seemed to be true detectives. Teddy had been charged with ransacking the room for clues but it looked like everything that could be found, had been discovered. They still needed to open a final box that held the key to the door, but that required solving four more riddles to receive the correct combination.

Hermione and Andy were currently bickering about which clues they had already used and which not. Narcissa had suggested to separate them the moment a puzzle got solved, but in a moment of carelessness Teddy had taken it upon himself to toss all the clues on one big pile, making it impossible to figure out which ones they didn’t need anymore. The blonde pursed her lips. That’s what you got when you bring a child along. She loved her nephew dearly, but he’d inherited his mother’s clumsiness for sure.

‘Tick tock, ladies. There’s five minutes left and I’m all out of tips!’

Three pairs of witches’ eyes glared at the camera in the corner of the escape room. After what felt like an eternity, Hermione threw her hands in the air and called it quits.

‘Unbelievable. I’m undeserving of my title as the Brightest-Witch-of-my-Age,’ she whined against Andy who smiled sympathetically at her.

But Narcissa wasn’t having any of it. This was meant to be a nice way for them to spend some time together. Hearing the disappointment in her wife’s voice and the fact that she doubted her own abilities made the blonde witch tut her lips. She sauntered over to the door and before Hermione could stop her, she muttered a quiet _alohomora._

***

‘That was fun. We should do that again,’ Narcissa said with fake innocence as they all walked to the nearest apparition-point.

‘That poor boy has never been more confused in his life, Cissy!’

‘He was exaggerating.’

‘We just escaped a locked room while the key we needed for that was still hidden away in an iron box!’

The blonde chuckled at her wife’s exasperation when her sister voiced some complaints of her own, telling her that she now had to explain to Teddy that cheating is not okay even when his aunty did it anyway. Narcissa didn’t get a chance to respond however as Andy wrapped her hand around Teddy’s shoulders and disapparated home.

‘Admit it, Cissy love,’ Hermione said when they were alone in the alley, ‘You were scared that you would not succeed in solving a _muggle_ riddle.’

The older witch quirked an eyebrow, ‘I’m a Black. I’m never scared.’

Hermione’s lecture about having an ego that’s far too big for Narcissa’s own good drowned in the swirling sound of their apparition as they headed home.

**April 11 th**

Hermione smiled fondly as her wife emerged in the bedroom wearing one of the many muggle outfits she now owned aside from all her fancy dresses. She’d picked a short, leather skirt first but when Hermione had pointed out she would need to spread her legs for this date, the blonde had been far too excited about it.

‘It’s not for the reason you think it is, Cissy,’ Hermione had shouted at her before the blonde disappeared into her walk-in dressing again.

Narcissa hadn’t listened to her of course and Hermione decided that the best way to show Cissy what she meant, was to just go on their next date and let her find out for herself.

‘Did you take off all your jewellery like I said?’

Narcissa nodded, ‘everything but my wedding ring, because that one’s stuck. It’s almost like someone put a permanent sticking charm on it.’

The brunette grinned, ‘I swear it wasn’t me.’

They disapparated to their next destination and Hermione couldn’t help but laugh at Narcissa’s perplexed expression when they landed in front of a farm.

‘Darling… why, pray tell, am I going to have to spread my legs on a farm?’

‘You’ll see.’

Hermione rapped her knuckles against the front door, ignoring the frown that marred her wife’s features, and smiled politely when the door opened.

‘Good afternoon! We’re Hermione and Narcissa. I made a reservation?’

‘Ah yes,’ the old farmer’s wife said while stepping aside to let both women in, ‘You’re here for that pottery class!’

Narcissa mouthed _pottery class_ to Hermione in such disbelief, Hermione nearly snorted. The old lady guided them through the living room to her studio where two pottery wheels were already waiting for them. The woman, who introduced herself as Celeste, took place in front of one of the wheels and grabbed some clay.

‘I shall demonstrate the workings of the pottery wheel,’ she explained with a croaky voice, ‘and then it’s up to you. I’ll be around to help if you need it.’

Celeste let her knees fall apart and shuffled closer so that the pottery wheel was between them and her foot could reach the pedal that made it spin. She placed the clay in the middle of the wheel and wetted her hands in a nearby bowl of water. While both witches listened to her instructions, Narcissa subtly leant a little closer to Hermione.

‘I need to spread my legs for the pottery wheel? That’s a bit of an anti-climax.’

‘Behave yourself,’ Hermione hissed, ‘I’ve always wanted to do this.’

Narcissa hummed, ‘Very well. But tonight we’re doing the kind of leg-spreading I like.’

Hermione’s blush luckily got unnoticed by Celeste who had trouble seeing even with her glasses. The woman rose from her stool and gestured at both women to sit down. Narcissa accepted the clay from the farmer’s wife and smashed it onto her pottery wheel.

‘Okay darling, I shall make you a vase and buy you flowers to put in it.’

‘Excellent idea. I think I’ll try my luck at a nice, large fruit bowl.’

Narcissa beamed at Hermione because she distinctly remembered her little rant about their fruit bowl being too small and Cissy not being able to put all the fruit she bought in it. The blonde loved her morning yoghurt with an apple or a pear after all. They both wetted their hands and got to work.

***

‘This isn’t working,’ Narcissa huffed.

Her usually immaculate hair was in complete disarray, the black and blonde streaks clinging to her cheeks. She glared at the piece of clay in her hands that resembled a dick more than a vase while Celeste and Hermione tried their very best not to laugh at her. Hermione who had already managed a somewhat acceptable fruit bowl, rose from her stool and leaned over Narcissa to place her hands on top of the blonde’s. Celeste, nearly blind as she was, did notice the change in atmosphere and made herself scarce with the announcement of grabbing them all a cup of tea.

‘Allow me to help you, madame Black.’

Narcissa tried to focus on Hermione adding and releasing pressure to shape her clay into a vase but the brunette’s proximity made her brain short-circuit a little. Even after years of marriage, Hermione’s smell stirred something in the pit of Narcissa’s stomach. The younger woman’s warm breath caressed her neck as she leaned closer to focus on the last bit of the pottery, but Narcissa was too far gone and pushed her foot down on the pedal violently.

‘Cissy, stop! It’s going too fast!’ Hermione shrieked as she desperately tried to get a hold of the slippery clay underneath their fingers.

The entire sculpture collapsed and got flung from the pottery wheel covering both witches in a beige, muddy substance. Narcissa looked a bit sheepishly at her wife who tried to fathom what in Merlin’s beard just happened when Celeste entered the room again. She gave both her guests one scathing look before pushing a cup of tea in their hands.

‘We’re sorry about the mess. We’ll clean it up of course,’ Hermione said but the farmer’s wife merely shook her head.

‘Most of the clay landed on you so don’t worry about it. You can freshen up at the pump outside before you leave. At least you have your fruit bowl as a reminder of this pottery class.’

Narcissa pouted, ‘I’ll still buy you those flowers, darling.’

Hermione looked at her wife, covered in clay and with such a sulky expression on her face that she couldn’t help but laugh. The realization that the so-called Slytherin Ice Queen got so flustered from having Hermione pressed against her back that she wrecked her attempt at pottery, send a jolt of excitement down Hermione’s spine. She quickly gulped her tea back so they could head home and practise the leg-spreading Narcissa was so fond of. By the way the blonde’s blue eyes darkened a few shades, Hermione knew she was thinking the exact same thing.

**May 9 th**

‘And that’s the Andromeda galaxy!’ Narcissa excitedly pointed out to Hermione who squeezed her hand in response.

For their next date, Hermione had given her wife a few options and the blonde had immediately chosen to visit the planetarium. Apart from potion brewing, reading and gardening, Narcissa Black had a weakness for the stars. Hermione couldn’t count the nights they’d spent curled up next to each other on the patio to gaze at the nightly sky on one hand anymore. She marvelled at Narcissa’s enthusiasm and listened to her in awe.

‘We were all named after a star or a star constellation, you know, like my father Cygnus for example. His name comes from a northern constellation somewhere near the Milky Way. It’s also known as the Northern Cross.’

Narcissa typed the name of her father in the computer at such a speed, Hermione suspected this was not the first time she visited the Planetarium. The moment the telescope had adjusted, Hermione could see the star constellation, but her wife who already rambled on didn’t give her much time to admire it.

‘Mother married into the Black family, so she isn’t named after star of course, but she continued the tradition. Andromeda is named after one of the largest constellations in the sky,’ Narcissa said while claiming the keyboard again and typing it in to adjust the telescope.

‘Ruler of Men,’ Hermione read out loud as soon as the information about the constellation appeared on the screen, ‘that doesn’t really sound like our Andy.’

Narcissa chuckled, ‘No, I guess she has a stronger link with the Greek mythology where princess Andromeda married the man who saved her from her mother’s evilness. They lived happily ever after…’

The blonde’s expression soured and Hermione gently nudged her, ‘she loved Ted and while they may not have had the years they deserved, she’s happy now.’

Hermione smiled at her wife who slowly nodded in return. She had made amends with her sister many years ago but she’d seen her cry on special occasions. Nymphadora’s birthday, her wedding anniversary with Ted, a snowy Christmas without the family she fought so hard for to create. It always broke Cissy’s heart and while the tears had become lesser and the sobs not as violent, her sister still mourned her losses. Every year anew.

‘Tell me about Bellatrix,’ Hermione said in an attempt to distract Narcissa from her worries.

‘You want to know about her?’

‘Sure, I know you don’t miss the madwoman she became, but the loving sister she was. So you can tell me about Bellatrix anytime.

Narcissa squeezed her wife’s hand, ‘Bella was named after the Amazon Star and her names translates to female warrior. I think it suits her perfectly.’

Hermione squeezed back, ‘it does!’

The blonde witch then skipped her own name and started to explain how Sirius was named after the Dog Star that was part of Canis Major, the Greater Dog Constellation. Both women chuckled at the memory of the giant, black, scruffy looking dog the wizard could turn into. It was also the brightest star in the whole galaxy and Hermione sighed in awe the moment Narcissa conjured up the image via the computer.

‘And then we have Regulus whom you never got to meet in person,’ Cissy concluded, ‘his name means Little King.’

‘Suitable for a member of the Noble House of Black, I suppose.’

Narcissa laughed and hooked her arm through Hermione’s to continue their tour at the Planetarium. Hermione allowed her wife a few minutes to breech the subject of her name herself, but when she didn’t, the brunette cleared her throat.

‘Why are you not named after a star or star constellation?’

‘I was the third daughter. The third Heir of the House of Black that wouldn’t be able to continue its name. A third dowry that had to be paid. I always assumed it was mother’s petty way of showing her discontentment. Of course the moment it became clear that I was the only one who was going to give her a grandchild she’d actually acknowledge, she suggested naming him after a star constellation.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Hermione said.

‘It’s fine, darling. I agreed and named my son Draco, but she was barely present in his life and drank herself to death soon after he was born. Sometimes I regret not having named him Jimmy or anything, just to spite her.’

Now it was Hermione’s turn to laugh and she steered them both in the direction of the gift shop. She insisted on buying an orb with a little floating Draco constellation for her wife who didn’t succeed completely in hiding her enthusiasm. They’d timed their visit perfectly as it was almost time for their dinner reservation at the Golden Locket when they excited the Planetarium. Narcissa gallantly offered her arm to Hermione who smirked.

‘When were you going to tell me you were a frequent visitor of the Planetarium, Cissy?’

The blonde opened her mouth, but no sound came out. In her excitement to show her wife around, she had not realized how obvious it would be for Hermione that she knew her way around the place by heart now. Narcissa closed her mouth again, feeling busted, but her wife merely kissed her cheek.

‘It’s just unexpected, Cissy. That’s all.’

‘I feel close to my family here. I know it’s silly.’

Hermione looked her wife in the eyes and shook her head, ‘it isn’t. Maybe we should buy you a yearly membership?’

Narcissa beamed at Hermione who finally accepted the outstretched arm so they could apparate to the restaurant where they would conclude yet another wonderful date.

**June 20 th**

‘What are those infernal contraptions?’

‘These are earplugs. They protect your hearing from the loud music.’

‘We could just cast a _muffliato_ darling…’

Hermione rolled her eyes, ‘but I want you to have the muggle experience of a festival!’

Narcissa sighed and allowed her wife to insert the plugs into her ears. They weren’t too uncomfortable and when Hermione spoke, she could understand her perfectly.

‘You don’t sound muffled, at all,’ the blonde voiced her surprise.

‘No, they have filters that only hold back the harmful frequencies.’

The blonde’s expression shifted momentarily as she couldn’t help but admire the muggle technology behind the tiny earplugs. They were far more efficient than a _muffliato_ charm, which would have drowned out the music too much. Narcissa quickly recovered as her familiar neutral expression shifted back into place, but she couldn’t fool Hermione who smirked.

‘If I’d known taking you to a festival would make you wear those delicious dragon leather pants again, I would have done it years ago,’ the Gryffindor witch teased.

Narcissa looked over her shoulder and batted her lashes at her wife who snorted before swatting her ass. The blonde knew the effect those pants had on her, but Hermione was determined to make it to the festival and introduce Narcissa to beer in cups and rock music. They apparated behind some portaloos and headed towards the waiting lines at the entrance.

‘What are those cubicles for?’

‘Those are toilets.’

The older woman’s nose scrunched up in disgust. Hermione had warned her that the facilities at a festival were rather primitive, but she’d sooner gauge out one of her eyes with a fork than use one of those cubicles to relieve herself. Hermione saw her expression and laughed.

‘Don’t worry, we can transform it into a real toilet once you’re inside one and then you can cast a few _scourgifies_.’

‘Or I just don’t eat or drink so that I won’t need to use it in the first place,’ the blonde witch replied dryly.

‘Oh no! None of that, madame Black! You’re having a beer.’

‘Don’t they have wine?’

‘They do, but not the quality you prefer so you better have beer instead.’

Narcissa huffed one last time before allowing her wife to guide her through the entrance and to the nearest stall that sold drinks. It took her yet another few minutes of convincing before Narcissa agreed to drink from a plastic cup, but they eventually managed to make their way to the main stage. Hermione had picked them as the first act they would see as the band had a nice mixture of rock music and slow songs. Glancing at her wife from the corner of her eye, Hermione watched how Narcissa responded to her first festival.

***

‘I really like these Fool Fighters!’ Narcissa practically screamed at Hermione who beamed at her wife’s happiness.

‘You mean Foo Fighters,’ Hermione shouted back before placing her hands on Cissy’s hips and moving along with the beats.

The curve of the woman’s body wrapped in dragon leather underneath her hands made Hermione a bit lightheaded. Or was it the numerous beers they’d both consumed? Narcissa claimed she was just thirsty, but the younger woman knew she was enjoying herself. Night was falling and the entire festival was lit with thousands and thousands of lights, turning the entire site into a scene from a fairy tale.

‘Is this something muggles often do?’ Narcissa muttered as Hermione leaned closer when a slower song started playing.

‘Summer is usually the season for festivals,’ the brunette replied, ‘and there’s lots of different kinds of festivals depending on the music.’

‘I’d like to do this again sometime.’

‘Say that again _after_ you used the portaloo and tried the food here.’

Narcissa groaned, ‘now that you mention it, I drank way too many beers to last without a toilet until we’re home.’

They both sauntered over to the nearest corner with chemical toilets when Narcissa suddenly halted in her steps.

‘I’m sorry, darling. I just can’t. I think I rather apparate home and back again.’

‘In your condition? You’d get splinched, Cissy. Come on, don’t be scared.’

‘A member of the House of Black is never scared! I just don’t want to catch anything.’

Hermione pushed her wife inside one of the cubicles and quickly cast a spell to enlarge it a bit on the inside so they could both easily stand in it. Another flick of Hermione’s wand transfigured the plastic toilet in a real porcelain one and she flung a few cleaning spells at it as well.

‘Will that suffice or does milady require a golden seat?’

Narcissa gave her wife a haughty glare, but the brunette merely grinned and turned around so her back was directed at the toilet. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Hermione heard Narcissa sigh in exasperation.

‘Darling?’

‘Yes?’

‘I need help with my pants. They’re just so tight.’

Hermione gulped. Yes, she’d noticed that.


End file.
